Needle-threader.



M. L. HAWKS.

NEEDLE TBREADER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN- IS, I9".

1,239,270. PatentedSept. 4,1917.

MOSES L. HAWKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

NEEDLE-THREADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Application ,filcd. January 19, 1?. Serial No. 148,346.

To all wjwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, Moses L. HAWKS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and Stale of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needlellu-wdlurs, of which the following is a pecification.

This invention relates to needle threaders, and has for its principal object to provide a device of this character which is more efficient in operation than devices hitherto used and is more durable in use.

A further object is to provide in a device of this character, means whereby the needle threadcr proper may be concealed and entirely protected when not in use, and at the same time providing another instrument which is useful wherever a needle threader is used.

Ihe varim1s further objects and advantages will more fully appear from the following detailed description and the features of novelty will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

lo the drawing illustrating the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the needle threader in its open or operative position.

is a section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. is a plan view of the device as closed, illustrating the other instrument afforded in the closed position.

Fig. lis a section on line 4-4- of Fig. 1.

In needle threaders as hitherto constructed, so far as I am aware, no means were provided for accurately bringing the eve of the needle and the threading loop int c accurate registration. Furthermore, the threading loop consisting of a thin wire or hook was in former constructions left unprotected, so that it could easily be bent or broken or otherwise rendered inoperative. In my present invention these defects are overcome in a simple and effective manner, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the threading loop 10 is mounted upon a support 11 which is formed preferably of sheet metal stamped out from a blank with various projections which are subsequently bent over to form the holding lugs 1,9 and 13 which anchor the ends of the loop 10 and the overhanging guard 14, disposed ad jacent to the vertex of the loop. A perforation 15 is formed in the plate 11 within the confines of the loop 10 through which perforation the thread 16 is )assed (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2) during the threadmg operation. The threading loop 10, above referred to, is made of a thin spring wire sufiiciently small in section to pass through the eye of the ordinary needle. This wire is bent to form a vertex portion 17 from which the sir es of the loop diverge to form the body of the loop about the aperture 15 and then contract to form a neck portion 18, and thence terminating in the ends 19 preferably doubled back and anchored by the lugs 12 and 13. The extremity of the base 11 adjacent to the vertex 17 of the loop is bent over to form a guide portion 20 which serves to bring the eye of the needle into accurate registration with the vertex of the loop. Thus, when the needle is to be threaded, it is merely grasped by the end, so that the eye is hori' zontal and then placed upon the .uide 20 and shoved toward the vertex 17. he slant of the guide portion 20 is such that when the needle is brought adjacent to the vertex 17, the latter is exactly in registration with the eye of the needle, thus passing into the eye as the needle is shoved from the position A to the position B in Fig. 1. The thread 16 is then passed through the aperture 15 and the needle is shoved back engaging the thread and completing the threading operation.

The guard 14:, as will be readily understood, serves to prevent the accidental bending of the loop away from the plane of the support and protects it from catching upon other surfaces or objects either during the manipulation of the device or when it is held in the pocket or sewing machine drawer or elsewhere along with other articles as is usual with devices of this character.

When the threader is not in use, it may be further protected in the following manner: Pivoted to the base 11 by a suitable pivot such as an eyelet 21 is a sheath 22 which consists preferably of a bent-over U- shaped strip of metal of a required length so that when the base 11 is swung over, it can enter into the U and be entirely covered thereby as illustrated in Fig. 3. While the device is in this position, a knife 23 formed on the inner end of the base 11 and normally disposed at the interior of the sheath 22 (Figs. 1 and 2) is brought to the exterior as illustrated in Fig. 3 and thus may be used for cutting thread and buttonholes or any other operation required during the course of sewing.

, It will be understood, of course, that various modifications may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A needle threading device comprising a supporting member having an aperture through which the thread is passed, a resilient threading loop attached thereto and lying thereupon, and a guard portion extending from one edge of the supporting member and passing over the loop leaving the opposite edge of the support free for the passage of the needle.

2. In a needle threading device, a supporting member having an aperture through which the thread is passed, a resilient threading loop attached thereto and lying thereupon, said loop having a vertex portion adapted to enter the eye of the needle, a body portion, a neck portion and diverging arms extending from the neck portion the extremities of which are doubled back at a distance from the neck portion, and

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner lugs extending from the edges of the supportin member and bent over upon the extremlties to anchor the loop in its proper position upon the supporting member.

3. A needle threading device comprising a supporting member having an aperture through which the thread is passed, a threading loop attached thereto and lying thereupon, a guide portion extending from the supporting member beyond the vertex ofthe loop, a guard passing over the loop adjacent the vertex, and a sheath member to which the support is pivoted, said support being movable so as to swing into the sheath portion and be protected thereby, the guard portion seiFing to shield the loop from contact with the sheath, the end of the supporting member on the side of the pivot opposite to the needle threading means being formed as a knife which is swung into position When the body of the supporting member is concealed in the sheath.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 16th day of January, 1917.

MOSES L. HAWKS.

Witnesses:

JoHN F. S'rnrr'n, MINNIE S. MILLER.

of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

